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Thursday, April 28, 2016

It was almost two and half years back when I visited The Disgruntled Chef at Dempsey. I remembered having a good meal at the casual restaurant back then. This time round, I visit their second outlet at Ann Siang, a fine dining concept nested at The Club Hotel.

Tom Collins 4.2/5

We started with some pre-dinner drinks in the Tom Collins ($18) and Bee's Knees ($18). We opted for something like and refreshing. which both the cocktails managed to deliver, not only in taste but in sight. The Tom Collins is a concoction of gin, lemon, yuzu, homemade pandan syrup, rosemary and club soda.

Bee's Knees 4.5/5

Interestingly the Bee's Knees is served in a teapot. The mixture consists of chamomile infused gin, grand marnier, lemon, orange and honey. Even before we started on the food, the cocktails have already impressed us. I even made a mental note to return for more of their cocktails when I am in the vicinity.

Fish Kebab 4.2/5

Dinner started with the amuse bouche. The Fish Kebab with a bed of tomato salsa, maybe bite size but it is bursting with lovely flavours, giving me a glimpse of what to expect for the rest of my dinner.

Burnt Onion Charcoal Bread 4.2/5

Most restaurant offers complimentary bread but at The Disgruntled Chef you have to pay for these delicious black gold, Burnt Onion Charcoal Bread ($9). The charcoal bread is crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. It comes with cream cheese foam and homemade fish floss. When eaten together with the charcoal bread, it further enhanced the whole onion flavour.

Burratina & Momotaro Tomatoes 4.2/5

For a light starter, the Burratina & Momotaro Tomatoes ($18) will be your choice. The sweetness of the tomatoes is dressed with black olives powder and oak smoked olive oil for a full flavour with the cucumber lending a refreshing touch. A worthy note is the oak smoked olive oil, which is smoked in house.

Sea Scallop Carpaccio 3/5

The Sea Scallop Carpaccio ($21) is topped with endive, pear, red cabbage, black truffle and brown butter vinaigrette. While the endive, pear and red cabbage add crunchiness to the whole dimension, I find that there is too many things going on the plate, shadowing the main cast. I also felt that the bitterness of the red cabbage kind of throw the balance of the dish off.

Steak Tartare 4.5/5

The Steak Tartare ($18) is served pre-mixed with soft quail eggs and fried tendons. It also comes with black charcoal bread chips. I prefer to enjoy the full flavour of the steak tartare itself but if you are worry of the rawness, I would recommend having it together with the bread chips.

Braised Iberico Pork Cheeks Crepinette 4/5

Moving on to the mains, we started with the Braised Iberico Pork Cheeks Crepinette ($38) which comes with miso carrot puree, broccoli and braised daikon. There were two types of the texture in the parcel, stredded and minced. The miso carrot puree, broccoli, braised daikon not only complement the crepinette but also helps to cut through the richness.

Crispy Beef Short Ribs 4/5

A weekday evening special is the Crispy Beef Short Ribs ($38) that has been sou vide for 36 hours. The tender and flavourful beef is paired with white kimchi, spicy kimchi mayonnaise and soy glazed baby potatoes. I thought I tasted fermented beancurd but after checking the familiar taste actually comes from the gochujang used in the braising jus.

Crispy Golden Snapper 4.5/5

My favourite among the three mains is the Crispy Golden Snapper ($32) with puffed scales, zucchini caviar, clam and basil fondue. The layer of crispy scales gives the moist snapper an additional coat of texture enjoyment. This is further complemented by the light but yet flavourful fondue.

Lemon Posset 3.5/5

Moving on to the dessert, we have the Lemon Posset ($14) which comes with pistachio sponge, stewed blueberries and lime meringue. For those that prefer something light, this will be a good choice.

Poached Strawberries 4.2/5

I am not a sweet tooth person so the Poached Strawberries ($16) is for me. The puff pastry chips, vanilla creme, formage blanc ice cream, looks so simple yet so delicious.

Chocolate Fondant 4.2/5

The finale has to be the Chocolate Fondant ($16) with peanut butter ganache. The chocolate fondant is moist and rich but what stole my heart is the banana fritters. The banana fritter coated with crispy rice is my first encounter and I really love their rendition at The Disgruntled Chef. This is accompanied with the house made dark rum banana ice cream without any additives.

Indeed The Disgruntled Chef has brought sexy back to the table with a refinement to its menu at the Ann Siang outlet. Although it is a fine dining concept, the price has been kept sensible. It even has a gourmet two course ($33++) and three course ($45++) menu on weekday for those that is looking for a quick lunch.